Victim's Family Agrees To 17-year Sentence For Lake Man In Killing

September 11, 1985|By Jim Runnels of The Sentinel Staff

TAVARES — A plea bargain involving the victim's family led to a 17-year sentence for the man found guilty of killing a Lake County zoning code enforcement officer. Circuit Judge John Booth pronounced the sentence Monday after the victim's family dropped requests that Arthur Charles Peschke, 58, be sentenced to life in prison.

Attorney Mike Hatfield, who represented the victim's family, said his clients agreed to the sentence because they did not want to go through the trauma of a lengthy trial.

Peschke was charged Feb. 5 with shooting Vincent James Scanlon, 32, who had gone to Peschke's property to advise him of a zoning violation.

According to statements taken by officers, Peschke invited Scanlon into his bait shop, where an argument began.

Deputies said that Peschke's 5-year-old grandson, who was at the shop, told them that his grandfather shot Scanlon.

Investigators said Scanlon was shot three more times while he was on the floor of Peschke's bait shop.

Officers said they found evidence that Peschke stood over Scanlon and fired three more shots at him as he lay on the concrete floor.

Peschke was indicted by a Lake County grand jury on a first-degree murder charge, but prosecutors said they agreed to accept a plea of no contest to second-degree murder because of Peschke's age and to avoid the expense of a trial.

But Scanlon's family went to Hatfield last week and asked for his assistance in stopping the plea bargain.

Dozens of Lake County residents wrote also wrote to Booth demanding Peschke receive a life sentence.

On the same day, Booth told defense attorneys that he intended to override the plea bargain and sentence Peschke to life in prison on the plea of no contest.

In the event that Peschke did not like the judge's sentence, Booth wrote, he would go on trial for first-degree murder in September or October.

The Scanlon family finally agreed Monday to go along with the sentence set by state guidelines -- 17 years -- in order to avoid a lengthy trial, Hatfield said.

Scanlon's shooting shocked Lake County government officials, who determined that Peschke previously had threatened other zoning employees.

They briefly considered beefing up security for zoning officers, at one point discussing uniforms for zoning officers and handling zoning problems by mail.

Zoning officers now are forbidden to accompany anyone into buildings during enforcement contacts.